It’s Friday: time to think about YOUR Happiness Project. This week: Jump.

I’m working on my Happiness Project, and you should have one, too! Everyone’s project will look different, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday’s post will help you think about your own happiness project.

The other day, I was waiting to pick up my three-year-old from nursery school with a scrum of other mothers and babysitters. I noticed that one of the mothers, while walking down the hallway to the classroom, gave a little skip-jump as she walked.

I was absolutely struck by that. This one little action made her seem so vital, so energetic, so…joyful.

Along the same lines, I’ve noticed that I get a charge of energy when I run down stairs instead of walking down them. There’s something invigorating about having your two feet leave the ground, in a jump or a run.

Wasn’t there a photographer who was famous for taking portraits of famous people, jumping?

Children run and jump constantly, but as we get older, our feet leave the ground less often. Unless you run for exercise, you might go a very long time without lifting off the ground.

But after I saw that mother do her jump step, I started cultivating the opportunity to jump around more. It’s harder than you might think. I run down stairs. How else, though, to work it into an average day? Mostly I goof around with my kids or do a little hop-skip as I'm walking down the sidewalk.

One of my most important Happiness-Project resolutions—and also my Third Commandment—is to Act the way I want to feel. We think that we act because of the way we feel, but many times, we feel because of the way we act.

By acting energetic and cheery, I make myself feel energetic and cheery. And a great way to act energetic and cheery is to JUMP.

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I always like checking out Marginal Revolution, and this post tempted me to add two books to my to-read list.

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Comments

[Bertie]

I love it! I will have to start jumping a little more too:) Thanks for the inspiration!

[Natasha]

Great post, "act the way I want to feel" has been indispensible to me lately.

The photographer you may be referring to is Henri Cartier-Bresson, who liked to capture what he called "the decisive moment," exemplified in one of his more famous images: Behind the Gare St. Lazare (http://voiceofpower.net/images/BehindTheGareSt.Lazare_Cartier-Bresson.jpg)

[Helen]

I'm going to skip and bounce today! Thank you, Gretchen! :D

[Faith]

There's a whole world of skipping happiness in the iskip.com movement. Here's the blog:
http://iskip.blogspot.com/

[Jan]

I tend to jump once in a while too. My other "make myself a little happier in a few seconds" habits include starting to whistle/sing/hum/snap fingers (usually some very happy song like Singin in the Rain, Wonderful World...) and doing a twist or something similar.

[Grateful Guy]

Umm, are you sure *running down a flight of stairs* is a good idea? :D

I tend to take a flight of stairs two at a time, so much so that I don't notice I'm doing it now. I agree though that it gives one a burst of energy. :)

[Meg]

I think that whatever it takes to run, jump or take the steps 2 at a time, as long as you remain being you. Commandment #1-Be Yourself. On the days that I don't have the energy to do a physical thing, I just ask, what do I feel like DOing right now? Snap my fingers to a fun piece of music could be it or read my album of computer cartoons that friends have sent over the years and I keep with their names written below so that I don't forget. Laffs all round from at least one of them.

[Louise]

My equivalent of jumping is zipping around on my 50cc scooter. There's something about twisting the throttle and feeling the wind on my face that makes me smile. A little swerve, a little verve, and a beep of the horn just feels saucy.

[Tim Noyce]

Goodness this resonates with me. I am fortunate in that I have a lot of natural exhuberance and a pretty good life. I find myself just having to skip and bounce a bit. It just happens. I scamper between meetings and everyone thinks I am running late ;-). I also totally recommend a bit of amateur soft-shoe by the coffee machine. It is all about letting go of your stiff, grown-up self and celebrating the sheer, bloody wonderfulness of being alive in the here and now.

I only just saw the happiness project so I have undoubtedly missed many of your steps, please forgive repetitions. My cut on happiness is to seek simplicity (it is impossible to be happy in a complex way), practice gratitude (counting blessings brings them to the forefront of your mind) and focus on meaning (as in Frankl, I conciously work towards things I value). I also keep a "Book of Joy" http://tim.noyce.eu/2008/04/05/the-dance-and-book-of-joy/ that helps me get clarity on precisely what is is that makes me happy. It is so classic and idea I have no notion who I stole it from ;-)

[andrea from the fishbowl]

So true! I've always believed in the power of a little jump or a skip.

Funny thing: always always, when I am leaving the grocery store with a cart full of groceries I RUN it across the parking lot (after checking for cars) and after I've gained enough momentum I ride the cart. I do this with my daughters and alone as well.

It makes me feel great - this expenditure of energy as well as the payoff that comes with the ridealong.

What's more interesting is the comments I get about it. Perfect strangers will stop and laugh, and say "that looks fun."

And with that, I drop in the car with a smile on my face. It never fails.

[Gretchen Rubin]

What a great example of this principle. I can't wait to try it! I love the idea of cruising through the parking lot on a cart.

[Michael]

I don't have kids (yet) but I can tell you that nothing thrills my dogs more than when I jump, skip, suddenly change my pace or roll around. It creates a mutually enforcing happy energy loop. Of course, then we have to calm down but it's great.

[Beth]

I love it - Jump! Play! How often do you sit at the playground watching the kids play...? why don't we join them? Why do we sit so passive? Why don't we swing from the monkey bars? slip down the slide? run around? why does our excersise have to be "organized", why can't we just "play" too! are we afraid that people are watching? who cares! have fun!